What do you see as an opportunity or risk over the next six months?

In my present role as General Counsel of one of the largest global manufacturers of nitrile examination gloves and a leading supplier of Polychloroprene Examination gloves which is used in medical, laboratory, food handling, and industrial applications as well as sterilization of medical equipment, the inherent risk within the industry is evident.

The global glove industry in 2026 is navigating a transition from post-pandemic oversupply toward a more balanced, although challenging, landscape. While demand is expected to rise, supported by increased healthcare consumption, manufacturers face intense competition, margin pressure from currency fluctuations, and significant environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks.

Intense market competition and overcapacity exist which includes large aggressive expansion and competitive pricing from Chinese manufacturers keep average selling prices (ASPs) low, Also, despite improvements, the market still deals with the aftermath of massive, rapid capacity expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Intense competition also effectively locks out smaller manufacturers.

ESG and Sustainability Challenges are also on the risk forefront which include pressure on massive, non-biodegradable waste generated by single-use nitrile and vinyl gloves. Another key factor is that despite automation, the industry is still dependent on foreign labor wherein continued scrutiny over labor practices, particularly in the Southeast Asian manufacturing sector, requires investment in compliance and worker welfare.

Separately, to remain competitive, manufacturers must accelerate automation, requiring heavy capital investment.

While latex is largely being replaced by nitrile, the chemical accelerators used in nitrile gloves can cause Type IV allergic reactions, leading to demand for “accelerator-free” alternatives.

However, despite all these challenges or risks, the global gloves industry in 2026 is still seeing a lot of robust recovery and growth, driven by continued demand as well as high hygiene standards. Expansion into non-medical sectors like F&B and beauty are also key opportunities. Other favourable circumstances include developing biodegradable, eco-friendly, and smart (IoT-enabled) gloves to meet ESG criteria, while adopting AI and automation for cost-effective manufacturing.

A strong demand exists for biodegradable and sustainable latex gloves to meet ESG requirements. Apart from the usual reliance placed solely in the medical sector, significant growth is expected in industries such as food & beverage, beauty/aesthetics, tattooing, and elderly care, which reduces reliance on healthcare-only demand.

Smart Glove Technology which embeds sensors, AI, and haptic feedback into wearable gloves to track, analyse, and translate hand movements into digital data, speech, or tactile responses is also rapidly growing. This essentially integrates IoT-enabled and high-performance materials for real-time safety monitoring.

Market diversification continues to exist as there is potential in emerging markets across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia apart from the EU and the United States.

In general, despite the risks, the industry will expect to see continued market consolidation through M&A exercises with a focus on product differentiation through better quality certifications and specialty, high-risk, or hypoallergenic products but looking at the geopolitical situation today it is worth noting how this will pan out per projections.

General counsel often speak of the need to be strategic to reach the pinnacle of the profession. What does being strategic mean to you?

The role of an in-house or general counsel has evolved rapidly from its traditional structure of yesteryears. What was once seen as a strict legal role akin to that of a practicing lawyer is no longer the case today.

A strategic GC who has successfully reached the pinnacle is not only a legal leader but more importantly a proactive business partner to the other members of the C-Suite and Board, navigating beyond mere risk management but driving the business to higher growth, profitability, safeguarding reputation and ensuring long-term success and sustainability of the business. They carefully embed legal strategies to align with company goals, such as entering new markets or managing complex regulations recognising that they are after all serving a business and bringing in their value as a trusted legal advisor to navigate through such landscapes.

It is anything far beyond mere contract reviews and negotiations or regurgitating the law to the board and management but rather to act as a value-added partner in reviewing the

current running of the business and strengthening and improving processes that allow for more expediency and cost saving. This may include reducing sole reliability on external counsel in devising more AI-led options to the extent it is reliable and cost friendly.

One would certainly need to be more pre-emptive than reactive to advise on emerging issues like artificial intelligence (AI), environmental, social, and governance (ESG), expanding the business via M&A support and be always aware of geopolitical shifts and to foresee a risk or opportunity way before it arrives via their legal lens. This is what sets a strategic GC from the rest.

What leadership qualities do you prioritise when building or developing your legal team?

To me a strong legal team is built on integrity and trust, reliability, efficiency and high emotional intelligence as its most core leadership qualities.

The most important traits are integrity and trust and to always act with honesty and maintain the highest ethical standards. This is a make-or-break quality in any leadership position; even more so as a lawyer. This includes taking ownership including readily admitting mistakes. Key stakeholders of the business rely on the legal team solely to navigate governance, legal, regulatory and business risks and if this is non-present the entire team is as good as being non-existent.

Vision, strategy and clarity of goals is essential to inspire each team member and navigate change within the team and the business as a whole. Effective communication amongst each other in allowing each member to be able to express themselves and respecting others’ perspectives is also key.

Emotional intelligence and empathy to me is as important as intellect. This cannot be taught but if one is keen to observe and practice compassion amongst each other, this elevates the entire work environment. Resilience and adaptability are also qualities I prioritise including remaining calm under pressure and navigating uncertainty or setbacks effectively.

Empowerment and delegation are also something that is pivotal as trusting team members with responsibilities gives them a sense of assurance that they are being provided opportunities for growth.

Decisiveness is a pertinent trait of a lawyer in being able to make informed, firm decisions, even in the most difficult of situations.

Humility as well as being a team player is also something I value as no man is an island. This also spells out as respect and fosters inclusivity and collaboration. These are the cornerstones of a high performing legal team.